Kung Fu Panda 3: Hidden Suspicions
by Tai Ling the Snow Leopard
Summary: A mysterious and rather sarcastic stranger arrives at the Jade Palace, bringing news of another cannon uprising- but this time led by the wolves themselves. The Five and Po follow the stranger, learning along the way that their guide may be calling them to their doom. The fate of their lives relies on one decision: to trust the stranger, or to find out what she is hiding from them.
1. Chapter 1: A normal day, normal stranger

It was a normal day at the Jade Palace. That included sparring, eating, sparring some more, training a bit, and a few dumpling challenges. The Five were practicing inside the Training Hall, while I was doing a bit of training on my own outside. Master Shifu was up in the meditation cave, meditating as always.

I began to practice a few fighting sequences from my own made-up style, Panda Style. I made it up by myself with a little bit of help from Shifu. The Five helped with cooperative sequences such as the 'Double-Duck-Strike'.

As I practiced, I began to realize that ever since we had defeated Lord Shen a few weeks ago, things had become quite quiet. There were less bandit raids and invasions, and very few threats were being made on China. It was strange, but I guess that's what happens when you defeat a major threat- all minorities go into hiding.

"Wyaaa!" I exclaimed, kicking the air.

"Ahem," someone behind me cleared their throat.

I turned around to see a small, snow leopard who was shorter than me and obviously a few years younger too. She had piercing blue eyes and spotted silver fur. She wore a deep lavender vest with loose black pants which looked a bit like a Jade Palace outfit, but that must have been just a coincidence. She was much too thin, and had hardly any muscles from what I could see. There was no way she had come from here at one point. But then again, if you looked at me you would think the same. "...yes?" I began after a moment's hesitation.

"I would like to speak to Master Shifu," she prompted simply,

"Why... why do you want to see him?" I asked, struggling to maintain the same authority that the Five did when handling this sort of situation.

"My reasons do not include you, therefore it is none of your business," the snow leopard snapped with a lash of her tail.

"Well then, I'll need a name," I said, trying to keep my cool.

"Names are unnecessary," she crossed her arms.

"Come on! I need to know that much so I can at least tell Master Shifu who is coming to see him!" I protested. "You have to tell me at least that."

"Don't. Push. Me," she growled, giving me a firm warning glare with flattened ears.

"Oh, I'm not pushing you. You are the one pushing me," I countered, hoping that made sense.

With a low growl of annoyance, the snow leopard leaped over my head and landed behind me- towards the staircase that lead up the the meditation cave. "Fine then. I will go to Shifu without any 'special permission'," she growled. With that, she darted away.

_No, no, no! I just let a complete stranger in on Palace grounds! This isn't good! Not good at all! _

"Uh... Po, who were you talking to?" Mantis asked me as he exited the Training Hall.

"Uh, well, you see... there was this snow leopard and..."

The rest of the Five gathered outside.

"She asked me to speak to Shifu so I asked her what her name was and all that... but she didn't answer. So I told her she couldn't go up until I at least knew her name but she just ignored me and went anyway," I explained quickly.

"And you just... let her pass?" Monkey asked, looking confused.

"Well uh... she kinda leaped over my head... she was _really _fast for being so small..."

"Maybe we should follow her to make sure she doesn't cause any trouble up there," Viper suggested, glancing up the staircase.

"I agree," Tigress said quietly.

With that, we began to climb up my old enemy: the staircase! {Except there weren't so many flights of stairs on this staircase.}

When we reached the top, we snuck around the bend and hid behind the rock wall which separated us from Shifu and the snow leopard's view.

Everything was very quiet at the moment.

"You remember me, I presume," the snow leopard began quietly.

Shifu said nothing for a moment. "I believe so, Tai Ling."

I exchanged glances with the Five.

"What brings you here?" Shifu asked coldly.

Tai Ling growled lightly. "I need help. No, allow me to change that: the town southwest of Gongmen City needs help. Ever since Shen died, the Wolf and Gorilla Gangs have been creating their own version of the cannons. They don't have strategy, but they were the ones building the weapons in the first place so they know exactly what to do."

"I'd expect you to try and handle things on your own like you normally do. Why did you come here?" Shifu pointed out before saying anything else.

"My motives are mine alone," Tai Ling answered warningly. There was a small hint of a threat in her voice.

"I understand. Will you accompany The Dragon Warrior and the Five to the village?" Shifu said simply.

_I think we know how to find places on our own, Shifu..._

Tai Ling didn't sound too thrilled about it, either. "Fine. But I'd advise you to tell them to come out of hiding from the wall over there, it's rude to eavesdrop."

_How did she know? We were super quiet!_

None of us made a move from behind the wall.

Tai Ling sighed as Shifu said nothing about us. "When will they be leaving for the village?"

"It's a bit late to start today, but I don't believe you'd mind waiting one more day?" Shifu suggested.

Tai Ling muttered something unintelligible. "I'd prefer not to, but if this is the case I will meet everyone down by the Thread at Hope tomorrow at dawn."

"No. You will stay here overnight."

_No. No. No. No. No!_

"Oh joy," Tai Ling muttered sarcastically. "Fine then."

"Train as well," Shifu added.

"I really don't think-" Tai Ling stuttered.

"Just do it!" Shifu snapped, getting impatient.

"This will be just great," Tai Ling sighed.

_You're not the only one thinking that, _I thought as I read my friends' faces. They didn't look thrilled at all to train with the sarcastic snow leopard. And truthfully, neither was I.

About an hour had past and Tai Ling had not spoken at all. I was relieved and I'm pretty sure that everyone else was too. The most that Tai Ling had done was training in the corner of the Training Hall on a few old dummies. There was something about the way she fought... it was familiar. For one, it was very advanced. And the way she stood in an attacking formation... it was just so familiar, yet vague. I pushed the thought away.

I practiced a few kicks, turns and punches before I realized that Tai Ling had been watching me the entire time.

"Your fighting style... is unique, to say the least," she commented quietly. "But I mean that in a good way."

I glanced at her, surprised. "Thanks... you fight like..."

Tai Ling flicked her ear and muttered something unhappily. She looked at me again. "Well then, as of tomorrow we will all be off towards Gongmen City."

"Yeah. It'll be great to do some defending again, its been really quiet around here lately," I agreed.

"Yes, it has been. But, it doesn't take long for things to start up again..." Tai Ling murmured then sprung away to train.

The journey towards Gongmen City was typical, heading alongside the Thread of Hope, then trekking through the snowy mountains.

So far we had reached the mountains, where it was snowing heavier than normal. As much as I wished we could just take a little break, no one stopped or slowed down. We just kept on hiking through the blizzard-like weather with the snow all the way up to our knees and our fur nearly frozen off.

Tai Ling seemed like the only one oblivious to the fact that it was so cold and that the snow was so deep. She just bounded along seeming as happier than ever.

_It's 'cause she's a leopard... a SNOW leopard. Lucky her. _I thought, freezing cold and ready to give up the hike.

"At this rate, it will take us an extra day to just get to Gongmen City," Mantis commented as we treaded along.

"Yeah," I agreed through chattering teeth. A sudden drop startled me as I plummeted a few feet into a snowdrift. "AH!" I yelled. "It's even colder down here!"

To my surprise, Tai Ling was the one who helped me out of the hole. "Test where you walk before you step," she advised quietly. "Especially around here."

"Okay..." I answered, confused by the fact she was being helpful.

"Do you travel through these mountains a lot, Tai Ling?" Viper asked.

"Quite often, yes," Tai Ling replied, glancing over her shoulder. "It can get annoying sometimes."

"Why do you travel through the mountains a lot?" Mantis asked.

"Uh... I'm just sent to do all the back and forth things."

"For who?" I wondered suddenly.

"My boss..." Tai Ling answered uncertainly before racing forward.

I exchanged confused glances with the Five before we headed onward in what seemed to be never ending snow.

* * *  
After what seemed like forever, we took a break from the hike in a small cave in a mountainside that was sheltered from the storm. It was night already and normally by this time we would have reached the boat that would we would sail across the lake to Gongmen City.  
I yawned. "Can we sleep for a bit?" I suggested.  
Tai Ling stiffened but said nothing.  
"We should get some rest," Tigress agreed. "It wouldn't be safe to travel through the mountains at this time anyway."  
I sighed in relief and settled down in a comfortable spot. The Five did the same, but Tai Ling just stood by the entrance, leaning on a rock.  
I looked at her questioningly.  
"I... uh, I will keep watch, okay?" she stuttered before slipping out into the storm.  
_You can keep watch inside a cave, you know... _I thought sarcastically._ It's __**really**__ cold outside..._  
"Why on earth would she keep watch in the cold?" Viper wondered aloud.  
"I dunno. She is a snow leopard..." I pointed out.  
"But in this weather, even _she_ should be cold!" Viper exclaimed. "What do you think is up with her?"  
I shrugged and yawned. "I dunno," I repeated, exhausted. I turned around and fell asleep before anymore conversation could arise.

I awoke to the sound of voices...and the smell of dumplings. Everyone was already awake but me, but I tried to ignore that.

The Five were eating warm dumplings, and I was about to ask how they got them warm when a sharp bark sounded from the entrance of the cave.

Tai Ling, who had been leaning on the same rock she had been on yesterday, flinched and darted outside at the sound of the bark.  
The Five took no notice to this, and I rolled my eyes.

"Where'd you guys get the dumplin's?" I asked.

"Tai Ling brought them," Viper answered simply. "They are actually very tasty!"

I grabbed a dumpling from the stack of them in the middle of the cave. They were on top of a small blanket that served as a place mat. "But where did she get them...?" I muttered. I bit into one, surprised to find it steaming hot with beans inside. "Mmm..! Those are good!" I reached for five more, forgetting my suspicion.

"I wonder where Tai Ling keeps disappearing to?" Crane brought up after a moment.

"Wolves," Tigress answered.

"Huh?" I exclaimed with a few others.

"I followed her last night," Tigress explained, "She headed up to another cave a few miles away to meet with some wolves."

"What were they doing?" Mantis questioned with a flick of his antennae.

"Talking. I couldn't get close enough to hear what they said, though," Tigress stood up. "Let's find her and keep going."

"But... she's with wolves..." Crane pointed out. "We shouldn't trust her. What if there isn't even a problem in the village? What if this is a trap?"

"Then we will just be careful. Come on, let's go," Tigress answered firmly before heading out of the cave.

Monkey gave me a confused glance and I shrugged.

We followed Tigress out into the snow and began to head southwest in the direction of Gongmen City.

As we walked along the mountainside the heavy blizzard began to fade, and only a few snowflakes fell. "I'm glad the snow is finally lightening up," I commented, trying to get through the silence of the journey.

"Yeah, at least that's going well," Mantis muttered.

"What do you mean? I asked, treading over to him.

"Look," he pointed down the mountain.

I followed his gaze to see a huge camp swarming with wolves. And I mean a _huge _camp. "Oh great."

"There you guys are!" someone exclaimed.

We all turned to see Tai Ling racing up to us on all fours. "We have to cut across a different mountain 'cause of the-" she faltered as she saw the wolf camp. "Ugh!" she muttered, "I told him to set up camp outside the village!"

The Five and I stared at her in confusion.

Tai Ling's ears shot up. "Uh... well, you see..."

"Tai Ling, what are you talking about? And who is this 'him'? Your boss?" Viper asked the snow leopard.

Tai ling flicked her ear. "Yes and no. He is my friend and technically not my boss- though he likes the term," she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, there's another heading through these mountains that will take us straight to-"

"So your boss... or friend, is a wolf?" I interrupted her.

Tai Ling folded her arms and ignored me. "The village. If we cut across here, well... you know, and-"

"So you work for the wolves?" Crane glared at Tai Ling.

"No. I do not 'work' for the wolves, I merely know them," Tai Ling lashed her tail. She had to look up at everyone except Viper, Mantis, and Monkey since she was so short.

"You aren't making any sense!" I exclaimed. "You call him your boss, then your friend, and then you just _'know'_ the wolves?!"

"All just said are true," Tai Ling said sarcastically. "But I don't like the wolves. Why else did I travel to the Jade Palace? To get a laugh?"

I studied her irritated face. Nope. Definitely _not_ for a laugh. But for a trap...? Maybe so...

Tai Ling flicked her tail and gave me a 'really?' look as she noticed me looking at her uneasily. "Anyway, if you'd like you can all just journey on your own to the village, I don't care."

Nobody spoke, looking a bit unnerved.

Tai Ling smirked. "Good luck," she scoffed before darting down to the wolf camp. "Sharptooth!" she yelled into the camp before disappearing into a tent.

"That was weird..." I turned to the Five. "So... now what?"

"We stop these wolves from whatever they may be up to," Tigress decided. "Tai Ling wasn't leading us miles away from the Valley of Peace for nothing."


	2. Chapter 2: Why am I here again?

**Okay, so the first chapter was a total flunk... so it this chapter. It's old, but after Chapter 3, things begin to get a bit newer. Anyway, this chapter is Tai Ling's POV.**

My heart raced as I darted away into the camp. Sharptooth was staring at me in surprise. "What is it, Tai Ling?" he asked me.  
I stood up from all fours and looked at the wolf for a moment. "We have to move _now_!"

"What? What for?" Sharptooth looked puzzled.

"They know! You were supposed to set up camp a mile north of the village! Not all the way in the middle of the mountains!" I exclaimed, my voice a bit higher than usual.

Sharptooth flicked his ear and rolled his eyes, relaxing. "I know, I know, Tai Ling! But the blizzard got in our way too! We have some wolves over there though, no need to worry."

I gritted my teeth. "I'm not worried, but the messengers said-"

"They said we were all set up at the camp by the village. I told them to do that so you wouldn't get all panicky like you always do. That way you'd lead the Five and Dragon Warrior through the mountains easily."

"But now they know and are somewhere nearby in these mountains. They'll find out soon, you do realize that, right?" I lashed my tail and glared at my friend.

"And we will be perfectly fine. The Northeast Gorillas are on their way over. We have wolf backup coming in from the north, and we have even more wolves stationed in the old factory. Relax, Tai Ling, what's gotten into you?"

I sighed. "You're right, there isn't anything to worry about. It's just... why are we doing this exactly? Why do we have to destroy those who have done nothing but protect the world?"

"To show who we are and to avenge those we have lost to them." Sharptooth answered me briskly. He sighed irritably. "Don't make me explain this again Tai Ling, my father will kill me... literally this time... if I don't do this. You must understand what we have to do!"

"I... I... I do understand very well. I just wish we didn't have to do it this way," I murmured.

He nodded faintly then headed into a nearby tent. I stood there, looking around at the surrounding mountains. I focused down on my acute hearing- it was very special, allowing me to hear for miles- as long as there was barely any loud noises near me. The sound of the wind was clogging up my hearing right now, so I just gave up. I began to wander around the small camp. There were a few tents here and there, with weapons lying around. Wolves were standing by on guard, huddling to keep warm.

I looked over to the cliff I had abandoned the Five and Po on. They were no longer there, I guess they were somewhere nearby, spying on me and the camp. I had made a huge mistake by leaving them. Now they would stick around the camp for sure!

_They aren't that bad of a group... they just do what they can to keep China safe. But, they are very, very distrustful._ I thought to myself, thinking back to when Po had first entered the group. Yes, I knew all about them, it was mostly because I used to eavesdrop on them all the time, but no one knew but me. So that was good.

I walked throughout the camp, glancing over at a few wolves off to my far right. One wolf, Blade, looked at me confused.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "It backfired," I muttered, inferring that he was wondering why I was back so soon. Turning away, I began to trek over to the opposite side of camp where the training area was.

Wolves were very precise when it comes to their camps. The camp would have to be the same everytime, everywhere. I found it a tad annoying, but who cared? The training area was at the very edge of the camp- and it was very small too. Anyway, I began to train on an old dummy which was made to spin with every kick but never fall down. I didn't practice in any sort of weaponry- just Kung Fu. I started with a few roundhouse kicks {which are very boring in my opinion} and flew into a strong punch which caused the dummy to fly backwards a few feet. That was more like it.

I practiced harder and harder, so focused on my training that I barely noticed the sound of footsteps around me. Footsteps? Footsteps! And not wolf pawsteps!

I froze and stood straight up, ears pricked and muscles tensed. I began to analyze the sounds of the footsteps with my ears. It was simple for me to figure out that it was the Five and Po. No threat for me... I was in... the... I glanced around. I was at least 50 yards out from the camp. _I really need to focus on where I end up training!_

If I raised an alarm, the warriors from the Jade Palace would have the advantage. So I'd just have to wait and see. After all, they seemed to be forgetting one very important element: I was a snow leopard, I don't ever see the mountains as a obstacle. They would come, but they would come on headstrong... but that wasn't very reassuring for me. Sure enough, with a blink of an eye they had surrounded me. I flicked my ear and tried acted calm- though I wasn't feeling calm at all, and I bet I didn't look calm anyway. Here come the questions...

**Um... like I said, old until Chapter 3. Even then, it's a little old. This chapter is just so you can get to see the other side of things. In the next chapter, well... still we get to see a little bit of action...**


	3. Chapter 3: Snow? Dirt? I hate this!

**Newer writing here! Not the newest, but its better! There is more action in this chapter. Tell me what you think of it!**

We had surrounded Tai Ling easier than I had expected. She stared at us in surprise, ears straight up and eyes wide. "Y-yes?" she managed out.

"What are you planning? Why did you lead us here?" I demanded as firmly as possible.

"Po..." Viper warned me softly.

I sighed. "Tai Ling, why did you bring us out here? What are you and the wolves planning?" I repeated in a different format.

Tai Ling sighed. "You don't get it. I have no plans! Just... back off before you make me fight you," she glared directly at me.

I was beginning to get the feeling that she hated me more than anyone else in the circle. I shifted my feet but forced myself to stand firm.

Tai Ling let out a growl of disapproval and shoved me aside, bounding away faster than I thought was possible in the snow. I landed hard on a mound of snow.

"We should follow her," Tigress decided as watched Tai Ling race into the Wolf Camp.

Crane looked at the camp doubtfully. "Have you seen how many wolves are in there? There is no possible-"

"Come on Crane, it's now or never!" Monkey exclaimed.

"Then let's do this!" I grinned, getting up and dusting the snow from my fur. "It's time to kick some wolf butt!"

As we charged into the camp, I began to realize the actual lack of wolves. There were only about 40 of them- a mere group compared to Shen's army. Tai Ling was staring at us, her eyes wide with disbelief- again.

We assembled attacking formation at once in a circle, each of us ready to cover the other's back.

A wolf who looked a bit like the Wolf Boss from Shen's army walked forward. He was pitch black and walked nearly perfectly straight- unlike the other wolves. "The Five and Dragon Warrior, ay?" he observed, nearly sounding like he was laughing. He glanced over his shoulder. "Hm... Tai Ling?"

Tai Ling flinched and walked to the wolf's side. "Yep?"

He muttered something in her ear.

"Should we attack now?" I whispered to the Five.

"No, wait for the opportune moment," Tigress whispered back.

Tai Ling looked up at us. "We have one request," her voice had lost its quiet stutter and had turned a lot firmer than it was before, "that by sundown today you all leave the Valley or perish. If you refuse, fight now," she flattened her ears curled her lips in a snarl.

The wolf beside her nodded. "Make your choice now, and do it wisely," he warned us, rubbing the sheath of his sword.

The choice was easy... for me anyway. "Fight," I whispered over my shoulder to the Five.

"Yes, they are only a few wolves... plus smallest snow leopard I have ever seen," Monkey agreed with a chuckle.

Tai Ling growled at his quiet comment.

"I agree," Tigress said. "Now."

We sprung out at the wolves faster than you can say 'soup'.

I headed for Tai Ling and send a kick towards her. She leapt out of my way and leapt back towards me, punching my leg to the ground before I even finished the kick. I looked at her, surprised.

"You left me no choice, Po." she hissed at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I warned you... I also told you to head towards the village... why won't anyone listen?" she muttered, taking attack stance.

"Again... what?!" I repeated, taking my stance.

Tai Ling rolled her eyes. "Idiot," she said softly before springing at me again. Before I could comprehend what she was doing, Tai Ling lashed around me and kicked me in the back causing me to fly forward and land in another mound of snow.

"Again with the snow..!" I complained, racing towards her and kicking her shoulder. "Where did you learn to fight like this?"

"The Jade Palace!" Tai Ling answered irritably, panting as she readied herself for attack again.

"What?! Shifu?!" I asked, leaping out of the snow and clumsily delivering a punch at her stomach.

Tai Ling let out a low growl before flipping quickly over my head, kicking my chest, and then flinging herself back onto two feet.

I gulped in the air she had knocked out of me and looked up to see her fist hurtling towards me, too fast for me to block. Everything zoned into a darkness with no sound but the beating of my heart.

When I awoke, I was in a completely different situation. The Five were nowhere to be found, and nore were the wolves.

The place I was in in was all stone, and I was in 8-point acupuncture cuffs, the best cuffs ever! They were the exact same cuffs used to hold Tai Lung- boy, where did the wolves get this stuff?

I didn't dare move as I heard footsteps coming from the entrance of the room. The black wolf from before walked in, followed by a few others.

The black wolf looked at me, nodded, then turned back to his friends.

What was going on here? I mean, seriously, where are the Five? What the heck am I doing in this stone room? I wanted to yell something

incredibly smart and deceiving to the wolves, but nothing of the sort came to mind.

The black wolf turned to me. "So, where is it?"

"Where is what?" I asked suddenly.

"You know what I'm talking about..." he growled.

"No... I don't..."

"Yes you do, you annoying panda! Where is it?!" the black wolf barked.

"Uh... Sharptooth, I don't think he knows..." Tai Ling murmured from the back of the room. She was in the dark, and I had barely noticed her until now. She kept her head bent as if she wished not to be seen.

Huh. That's kinda weird, I thought, annoyed with the snow leopard at the moment.

"Tai Ling, shut up," Sharptooth muttered, rubbing his sword.

Tai Ling just sighed.

"Anyway... what are you looking for? You know, if ya told me, I could help you find it..." I offered.

Sharptooth stared at me and smirked. "Ha. Playing dumb with me, aren't ya Panda?" he chuckled. His mocking smile suddenly turned into a snarl. "Don't try me, kid."

I could see a flash of blue eyes as Tai Ling looked over at me... the weird part is, she seemed more worried than anything. "Sharptooth, quit it already!" she yelped. "He doesn't have a clue about what you're asking him!"

Sharptooth flung his head back in annoyance. "Shut up! I told you to shut up!"

Tai Ling growled but said nothing.

"Anyway, Panda, if you want to know what we're looking for, we're gonna have to make a few adjustments... good for us... figure out the rest. We'll be right back," Sharptooth turned away and started to walk to the entrance. He stopped for a moment. "Oh, and, don't even try escaping, these tunnels are impossible to escape unless you have a map... or nightvision... or just plain knowledge... which you obviously don't have."

With that, the gang of wolves left the room.

After they seemingly left earshot, I headed in the way of the exit, tiptoeing and trying to not move my hands in the painful cuffs. I could see light coming in from the other room. Nightvision, he said! Ha! I don't need that!

A few more steps and I would be in the other room... no noises Po, no-

"Hey! Stop!" a hiss came from the wall.

I froze in my tracks. A wall. A wall just talked to me. "What in the name of the Yin-!"

Something slapped its paw over my mouth. It was the wall again!

"Shut up, Po!" It warned.

"Figress?" I muttered out, my voice muffled.

Tigress pushed me into the shadows. "Yes, now be quiet before anyone hears your blabbering!" she growled.

Viper beside me sighed.

"When the wolves come back, they'll see you gone. Then while they are trying to see if you got lost in the tunnels, we'll get out," Mantis explained to me.

"Okay... but where'd you guys come from?"

"Another room on the other side of the tunnels. This place is huge! Anyway, we found the exit really quickly after we escaped. No problemo here!" Monkey supplied.

"There's a problem if you are all being so loud that everyone in the entire system can hear you!" a voice hissed.

I whipped around to see Tai Ling... well her eyes at least. The rest of her was buried in the shadows.

Tigress lunged at her, and Tai Ling just stepped aside, not fighting back. "Wait. I don't want to fight," she stepped into the lit doorway, and I noticed the huge gash in her ear that had not been there before. "Trust me, being here is against my will just the same as you."

"Then why'd you knock me out?" I questioned suspiciously.

"I'll explain later!" Tai Ling answered warningly. "For now, stay quiet. Your guy's plan is good, but not foolproof. Just, do not move no matter what!" she disappeared out into the lit room.

"Should we trust her?" Monkey asked.

"I'm gonna go with: no," Mantis replied flatly. "She probably went to go get more wolves, let move before we get caught again!"

"Wait... how'd you guys get caught?" I said suddenly.

"... same as you," someone muttered before we darted out into the other room.

The room was lit by several torches on either side of it. The ceiling was incredibly high and the floor was made of pure jade. Kind of like the Jade Palace... but not as highly decorated with rare weapons or oneofakind masterpieces. There were strangely no wolves in sight.

I followed the Five down a hallway reached from the end of the room. Soon we winded up in a dark, dirt room with an even darker hall at the other end.

"This is the way out?" I stared at the tunnel in disgust.

"Our one and only!" Viper chirped. "Come on Po, it's not that bad, it's just dark!"

"And we have no clue what's at the end of it!" I protested. "Besides, look at it! It looks as if someone dumped all of the dirt in all of the Valley of Peace here!"

"Hey," Monkey nudged me, "Don't be a wimp," he grinned.

With a sigh, I trudged after them and into the hallway.

**To short? Let me know. What side do you think Tai Ling is on?**


	4. Chapter 4: A little history

**Hi! Long time no see. School just started and it decided to load me with homework… So updates may be slower (maybe not as slow as this one though). Anyway, this is Tai Ling's POV… now you get to learn a little bit about Tai Ling that you didn't know before… Enjoy!**

I made my way back to where I had left the Five and Po. They were not there. I mentally slapped myself. Of course they wouldn't wait! What was I thinking? I rolled my eyes. They would be trying to escape the tunnels—which actually wasn't that hard to do… for me. Well it wasn't really a matter of getting out of the tunnels; it was a matter of not being stopped by the wolves. That wasn't a problem for me. For them? Yes.

I decided it'd be best to let them figure out how to escape; that way no one could accuse me of anything I did or would do. With a sigh of irritation, I wandered around out of boredom, old memories flowing freely back to me.

***  
_I was scared and unaware of what had just happened. At the time I had been about eight, and at the moment I was feeling nothing but fear. Just a second ago I was living my life happily and now I was running for my life. 'He' wasn't chasing me; he didn't care about me at all. It was the village he was after, not me. But nonetheless, I continued to run, relying on nothing but faded memories of the roads to escape. Without many memories of the roads, I soon found myself running in a loop… and suddenly running into __him__. I froze in terror, hoping that he did not see me. Against my hopes, he turned to face me and the fury in his eyes faded for a moment, replaced by sadness. "Tai Ling…!" he began softly._

_ I shook my head and back away, stumbling. "No," I whispered. "No! Get away from me!" Shrieking, I ran off with the rest of the terrified villagers. But I soon saw that they were cowering away from me too. They knew that I used to know him, and I that used to always follow him around. But that was before he turned on the village. They needed to know that. "Don't worry, I'm not with him," I told a group of fearful bunnies. _

_ Their eyes widened and they took off with a huge squeal._

_ I watched them, the horror settling in. My village wouldn't except me because of 'him'. I had no home. Tears in my eyes, I ran away. I didn't know where I'd go, or who I'd find safety in, or if I'd be killed in the process of finding a home. Soon, I was sprinting blindly through mountains, only stopping when I knew no one would pursue me. But now I faced the dilemma of finding shelter in the center of a mountain range._

_ After at least a day of wandering the mountains, I ran into a dark black wolf about the age of 13. He had no weapons on him so I figured he couldn't be dangerous. So I greeted him with a little bow. "Hello," I said quietly. "I was wondering if you may know a place of shelter."_

_ The black wolf turned on me, his eyes ice-blue. His ear was torn and he had a scar on his left arm which ran all the way from his wrist to his shoulder. I shuddered. "Hey, what is a young cub like you doing out here? Your so young, you could get hurt out here," He told me, thankfully not sounding hostile._

_"Well you're not much older than me!" I protested indignantly._

_ The black wolf rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm much safer than you. What's your name?"_

_ "Tai Ling. Yours?"_

_ "Ruì Chǐ, but call me Sharptooth," he answered briskly._

_ "Oh… ok. What are you doing out here?"_

_ "Me? I'm just out with my wolf pack," Sharptooth looked around. "Well, I was out with them. But I got bored. Father always has me doing the 'important duties' since he wants me to become the alpha, or boss of our gang to follow his footsteps."_

_ "What's your dad's name?" I questioned softly. I had never had a father._

_ "Gǔ. But like me, call him Bone when you see him," Sharptooth grinned a toothy grin. _

_ "Wait… so I'm gonna meet him?" My chest fluttered with hope. I had found a place to stay for a while!_

_ "Why not? I mean, it's not like you're going anywhere."_

_ "What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled._

_ "You are certainly lost. So, stay with me and my pack. That is if Father will let you. He probably will though, he's very kind... For a wolf," Sharptooth reassured me._

_ I looked up at the wolf, struggling to trust such an evil looking creature. I shouldn't judge him, he was only about 5 years older than me with no visible means of harming me. I nodded slowly. "Very well… I guess I'll come with you."_

_ That was a little less than 20 years ago._

***  
I tried to shake off the memory; it held little good in it. The only part I appreciated was that Sharptooth took me in and became my closest friend—though he wasn't such a kind person anymore. After his father retired to supervising boss, Sharptooth became cold-hearted. He wanted to fulfill the steps his father had laid out, and honestly, I think he did quite well.

I looked down the hall that lead towards the exit tunnel.

_Should I go see if the Five and Po got out? _I thought doubtfully_. _I thought about the look of hatred and distrust on their faces. _No. I shouldn't._

I hated that they had come to distrust me… even though they had a total right to do so. But… I liked that someone in my life actually trusted me for a little bit. No one, not even Sharptooth, had ever put full trust in me. I couldn't really blame him. I always was the one arguing with his plans and trying to make them better… and sometimes worse. I rubbed my ear with was still crusted with blood. The stinging didn't bother me much… but the meaning of it said it all.

**Hm... so now we know a little more about Tai Ling, ay?  
I'm really sorry that this chapter isn't very long but I have some homework to do... I'll update again very soon, please leave me some reviews! :D**


	5. Chapter 5: And the blizzard is back!

**Hey there! The last chapter was really short, I know, and I am very sorry. So… I'm going to try to make this one at least the length of the first chapter. It's Po's POV, by the way. Hope you like it!**

We had been walking down this horrid exit tunnel for what seemed hours now, and boy was it getting on my nerves! I had bumped into at least five walls, and probably ran into the Five a few times too. Ugh.

Suddenly, light filtered through the tunnel and I sighed with relief. "We are out!" I exclaimed, grinning.

"Shh, Po. These tunnels carry your echo," Mantis warned me, from somewhere off to my right. I was lucky I hadn't stepped on him.

I slapped my paw over my mouth. "Sorry," I muttered. As we stepped out of the tunnel, I took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp, beautiful—"FREEZING!" I gasped, shivering from the sudden coldness of the air. Snowflakes poured down on us almost as fast as hail, covering turning my black and white fur almost completely white. We were still in the mountains, somewhere on one of the thousands of mountainsides.

"Great, the blizzard started up again," Monkey sighed beside me. He too was covered in the harsh snow.

"How are we supposed to get back to the Valley?" Viper wondered worriedly.

Tigress looked at Viper. "The snow will keep the wolves from traveling too, so we don't have to worry about them doing anything to the Valley," she answered.

"But they can easily find us here," Crane muttered, looking back at the tunnel. "When we were traveling here with Tai Ling, the snow was blowing against us, so we should head that way," he pointed with his wing to the right of us.

"And if the wind changed course…?" Mantis pointed out, jumping onto Monkey's shoulder.

I rubbed my hands together for warmth. "It's better than standing here. Besides, it'll get us moving so we won't be so… c-cold."

Viper nodded. "Po's right. Come on, let's go."

We had been traveling for about an hour, and nothing seemed familiar. Well, we could barely see anything because of the thick, whirling whiteness around us, but I guessed we were most likely heading the wrong way.

Nobody really spoke much, which opposed to the usual trip where we would be chatting along the way. Personally, I didn't like this journey so far. We were much to quiet and freezing, and I was getting _hungry_! My stomach growled as if to confirm the thought. I sighed. "We're going the right way, right?" no one answered. They were just as confused as I was, but they just didn't want to admit it.

After a moment, Crane spoke up. "Yes, we are heading the right way… I'm pretty sure. We are either heading towards Gongmen City or towards the Valley.

I heard a groan from someone else.

"The wolves want the Valley, why are we heading towards Gongmen?" Mantis asked irritably.

"I said I'm not sure. We could be heading to either one of the two places, but either way, we'll be able to work things out once we get out of these mountains," Crane muttered as we walked along.

I sighed. It seemed as if everyone was in a bad mood, even Viper—she didn't even pay attention to what anyone bothered to say. The effects of the journey had taken a toll on all of us. I brushed a layer of snow off of my arms, only for them to be covered in another layer. Annoyed, I just gave up.

"Hey! We've reached the lake that leads to Gongmen City!" Monkey exclaimed as the sound of waves slapping icy banks came into range.

"Yes!" I grinned and raced forward. "We are going to be out of the snow! Oh yeah!" I cheered. New strength in me, I uncovered the snow off of the boat we used to cross the lake.

The Five caught up to me.

"Okay, perhaps we should go to Gongmen City, inform the Master's Council of the wolf problem, and then see what they have to say about it. That way, everyone will be alert and ready for any 'surprise' attacks," Tigress decided, helping me push the boat into the icy lake. Amazingly, the lake had not frozen over. There were only a few, thin pieces of ice floating around. I guess the storm had just reached this area of the mountains.

Excited to leave the mountain range, we all climbed into the boat and set off into the water, watching the snow thin out as we left the blizzard behind.

* * *

_Tai Ling's POV_

I heard footsteps thundering from behind me. "Tai Ling!" Sharptooth barked.

I stiffened. That was his angry—no, furious voice. "Yes…?" I turned slowly to face him.

"Where did they go?" the black wolf asked me, teeth clenched.

"Wha—? Who went where? Huh?" I asked confusedly, my thoughts still on my past.

"_The Dragon Warrior_! _The Furious Five_! You were supposed to keep an eye on them!" Sharptooth roared. He clenched his fist, shoved his muzzled in my face, and curled his lips in a snarl.

I stared at him for a moment. I had never seen him so angry in my life! "Um… you never actually told me to guard anyone…"

Sharptooth glared at me.

"Sharptooth…" I said slowly, a little worried.

He continued to glare.

"Sharptooth, snap out of it! It's okay, they couldn't have gotten far. Besides, where could they have gone in this weather? There's a huge blizzard outside!"

Sharptooth rolled his eyes. "I guess your right..." he turned to a nearby wolf. "Send out search parties! And hurry!"

The wolf ran off, Sharptooth following while yelling out more and more orders.

"Nice save, Tai Ling," someone muttered smugly.

I turned to face Blade, a close friend of Sharptooth and me. "Yeah, yeah. Don't be all smug about it; I'm sure you wouldn't have done any better."

"Okay, fine," Blade narrowed his eyes good-humoredly.

Smirking, I folded my arms. "What do you think has gotten into Sharptooth? He's never like this!"

Blade looked at me in surprise. "You haven't noticed?"

I shook my head.

"He's scared!" Blade told me quietly. "He's never handled something like this on his own; he's worried if he messes up, the other gangs might turn on him."

"Sharptooth? Scared? Nah!" I scoffed. "Sure if he messes the plan up, our alliances will most likely get mad, but I've never seen Sharptooth scared of anything!"

Understanding lit his gaze. "You look up to him, don't ya?"

"No…" I said slowly and a little defensively. "Blaze, I have a question."

"Yeah, what?"

"Do you think that this is going to turn out okay? I mean, can't this completely backfire on us?" I questioned. Honestly, that wasn't want I really intended to ask, but I didn't dare ask what was really on my mind.

"Look Tai Ling, anything we've ever done could have easily backfired. But it didn't, right? Here we are, alive and without doubt of each other's trust." He glanced at my slashed ear. "Well, kind of."

I bit my lip and sighed. "Yeah… I guess," perking up, I said, "I'm going to make sure that no one is in the exit tunnel, okay?"

"Uh… sure. See ya later, Tai Ling!" Blade waved me off.

With that, I darted away, heart pounding. Something was bothering me, and I wasn't sure what it was. I tried to push it away as I raced down the dark tunnel to make sure that the Five and Dragon Warrior had both gotten out without a problem.

"Where do you think you're going?" a deep voice asked me.

I froze. I knew that voice. Not a wolf's, not a Kung Fu warrior's, but… Bone's!

* * *

_Po's POV_

The port of Gongmen city was strangely empty: no bustling ships or yells of salesmen on the docks.

"Where is everyone?" I wondered aloud, astonished.

No body answered as we got off of our boat and walked along the docks. I looked around, searching for a sign of some life.

Nothing. Not a voice to be heard or the sound of children playing chase. Some remnants of shops, homes, and blackened debris were scattered across the ground. The smell of smoke and burned metal hung in the air.

"What happened?!" Viper exclaimed, worried.

Tigress, surprised as well, spoke. "We need to find the Master's Council. They'll know where everyone is. Come on, let's go."

We followed her to what was once a huge palace that belonged to a family of ruling peacocks. It had burned to the ground, thanks to a devious outcast peacock named Lord Shen. The Master's Council had rebuilt what they could, resulting in a good sized training yard and a building about a third of the size of the old palace.

Slowly, we all approached the building then knocked. No answer. I opened the large door.

"Po!" Viper scolded.

"What? Nobody is even here!" I protested, continuing forward.

"Po… I don't think we should go in. Besides, what if the Masters are here and they just didn't open the door?" Crane pointed out doubtfully.

Monkey shrugged. "I don't see the harm."

"Well then, you two go in and we'll wait here. Have fun!" Viper sighed, shaking her head.

I grinned. "Great! Thanks! See ya in a couple minutes!"

"I'll come too," Mantis flicked his antennae and jumped onto Monkey's shoulder.

We began to walk in and I turned around to see Viper, Tigress, and Crane looking at us irritably. "We'll only be a few minutes, I promise. Besides, we might find someone!" I reassured them.

"And get us all in some trouble with the Masters," Tigress muttered under her breath.

Ignoring her, I turned around and hurried into the building.

Monkey looked at me. "Tigress is going get m-a-d at you if the Masters are actually here and we just broke in!" he teased. "Oh, imagine how angry she'd be!"

I elbowed him. "Oh come on! It's not like she'd kill me or anything! We're trying to find the Masters to figure out what happened to the city, anyway." Honestly, I didn't think the Masters were even in the building. After all, they would have seen us already.

"You're here to find out what happened to the Gongmen City?" a deep voice from behind asked me. I knew that voice… Master Ox's.

"Whoops…!" I said slowly.

"Good luck, Po!" Monkey grinned.

I turned to face the ox. "…yes. What happened? We came here to warn you about—!"

"The wolves, gorillas, and crocs? Oh we know about them alright!" Master Ox glared at me.

"They're the ones who caused everyone in Gongmen City to disappear?" Mantis asked, shocked.

"No, they were forced to evacuate. The gangs destroyed half of the town," Ox answered, folding his arms.

"And you let them!?" I gasped.

Ox looked as if he was ready to hit me. "No. We did not. They brought cannons, and… something else. I'm not sure what it was. It created a huge red explosion, and then everything just burned to the ground.

"So… a cannon," Mantis stated flatly.

"No, it wasn't a cannon!" the great master bellowed. "It was not fired from anything, it appeared and then disappeared with the blink of an eye."

I gulped. "The… wolves have this?"

"Yes, they do," Ox stated, annoyed. "Dragon Warrior, normally I'd be honored to speak to you, but not now. We are very busy and must get back to work."

"Working on what, a super special secret move?" I asked, instantly excited at the thought of the amazing talent of the masters.

The ox sighed. "No. Now please, if you'll excuse me," he left without another word.

I exchanged astonished glances with Mantis and Monkey before we headed back to the rest of the Five, reluctant to tell them what we had found out.

**Okay then! End of chapter 5! What do ya think? I tried to make this chapter about the length of my first chapter. **** Well… Tai Ling is facing a few difficulties of her own, along with facing Sharptooth's father, Bone. As for the Five and Po… hmm… the wolves had something that forced everyone in Gongmen city to evacuate… what on earth is going on there? Stay tuned for the next chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6: Now what?

** Hi again! I'm excited to get on with this next chapter! Enjoy!**

_Po's POV_

"So… the wolves used a weapon that caused an explosion, but it wasn't a cannon?" Viper confirmed after I told her, Tigress, and Crane what Master Ox had said.

"Yep. And apparently it was a lot more mobile, because by the time he went to find the source, nothing was there," Monkey supplied.

"That's strange…" Tigress murmured, half to herself. "Did he say when the attack took place?"

I shook my head. "No… but it must have been recent because it still smells smoky."

"Your right, Po. But if it was the wolf gang, then why didn't we see them travel here?" Tigress wondered, deep in thought.

"According to Tai Ling, she had to travel throughout the mountains a lot. So most likely the wolves have traveled through them a lot too. They probably know a shortcut that leads here a lot faster than ours. Perhaps the tunnels all connect to here?" Viper suggested.

She had a point. A very smart one, in fact. I couldn't help but agree. A thought struck me. "If what Viper is saying is correct, the wolves might have a tunnel connected to the Valley of Peace! As far as we know, they might have blown up the place!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide with disbelief.

I could see that this was an unsettling thought for the Five, though they were trying not to show it.

I thought more about it. My dad… err, adoptive dad, could be _dead_ right now! Same with Shifu and everyone else! "This isn't good…" I murmured, worried.

Viper spoke up, looking a bit doubtful. "Um… we don't need to panic Po, I'm sure everyone is alright. Besides, The wolves seemed centered on the village southwest of here."

"If that village just wasn't a hoax…" Mantis muttered with a flick of his antennae.

I nodded in agreement. "It most likely was…" I thought about the tidbits of conversation we heard in the wolf camp, "but then again…"

"I'm more concerned about the Valley than the village. The village must be very small considering the fact that it has no official name," Crane pointed out.

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "Then what would the wolf gang want with it?"

I shrugged. "It could be a hoax…" I was beginning to get impatient. "Come on you guys! We have to get going—we just can't stand around all day!"

"But we also can't just journey through that blizzard, _again_, Po," Monkey muttered.

I opened my mouth to argue, but no smart words came to mind. "Fine… but we should just try!"

Tigress came to my defense. "Po's right. We should try. We have traveled through the blizzard twice, and we can do it again. Besides, the blizzard has got to end sometime."

"Thanks Tigress," I muttered gratefully.

She nodded in acknowledgment.

Monkey, obviously not wanting to journey through the snow again, crossed his arms. "But—"

"Do you want the Valley to be blown up to bits?" I asked him mischievously.

He rolled his eyes. "No."

"Are we all in agreement then?" I questioned the group.

The Five nodded.

"Then let's go save China… err, the Valley—again!"

* * *

_Tai Ling's POV_

I could not see Bone; I could only hear his voice, hardened by years of yelling orders and battle cries. "Bone?" I asked the darkness. "…Sir?"

"Heh, heh… hello Tai Ling," the darkness replied. "As I asked you before, where are you going? Better not be leaving the tunnels, I hope."

I shook my head. "No. I was going to see if the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior had gotten away."

"Well they must have, otherwise I would have seen them," Bone murmured, sounding as if he couldn't have cared less.

"Oh, okay," I searched the darkness. Even with the feline gift of night-vision, I could not find the wolf.

"Turn around you silly leopard. You were in such a hurry you ran right past me!" Bone laughed, noticing my confusion.

I could feel myself get hot with embarrassment. _Oops! _I turned around to see Sharptooth's father, looking the same as he did three months ago when I last saw him. He had the same silvery pelt and glittering crimson eyes. His left ear was slashed halfway down, leaving him with half an ear and a scar over his left eye. After knowing them for twenty years, I still couldn't find a resemblance between him and Sharptooth besides their cold, glittering smile.

"Bone!" I greeted the silver wolf. "Great to see you. Why did you journey though the blizzard to come back to the tunnels?"

Bone sighed. "Straight to the point?"

I nodded.

"Honestly, I came to just check up on everything," Bone answered, eyeing me. "Where'd you get that gash in your ear? You didn't have that last time. You must have put full effort into a fight for once, ay?" he grinned, sounding surprisingly proud.

I shuffled my feet. "Um, well, you see…"

"Nah! Don't be humble! Who'd ya fight?"

"Sh—Sharptooth… It was an accident! We weren't really fighting, just… arguing…" I stuttered, my fur prickling in embarrassment.

Bone narrowed his eyes. "I understand. It doesn't really matter anyway," he muttered, waving his hand in dismissal. "Where is he?"

"I don't know."

Bone stared at me in surprise. "You don't? Huh, that's new. Well, I'm going to find him. Join me will you? I need someone to catch me up on all the progress."

I glanced down towards the exit then back at the wolf. "… Sure."

As went to find Sharptooth, I informed Bone of all that had happened… including how stressed out Sharptooth was.

Bone didn't say much, he just nodded and listened was we walked.

I was bored of this. I wanted to find the Five and Dragon Warrior. I wanted to see how far they had gotten from the caves before being stopped from the blizzard. I rolled my eyes irritably.

After a while of wandering the tunnels, we finally saw the black wolf ahead, deep in thought.

"Sharptooth!" Bone suddenly exclaimed, greeting his son.

"Father? It's great to see you!" Sharptooth flashed one of his rare grins.

Bone chuckled. "This whole pack leader thing is harder than you thought, ay? Tai Ling told me that you were stressing out about it," he explained, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Sharptooth narrowed his eyes at me, obviously not in the mood for goofing around—even after seeing his father again. "She did? I am not stressing out about this at all, Tai Ling, and I have no idea what got that idea into your head!" he objected defensively. "Support me here, okay?"

I stared at him, confused. "Sure…"

Bone seemed to be searching for trouble today, despite the fact that he was messing with his son and a close friend. "And you two fought a bit… that shows me that somethin' is bothering the two of you!" he pointed out.

A little offended, a took a step back. "Not true!" I denied.

Sharptooth glared at Bone and then looked at me. "Nothing is bothering me. As for you, Tai Ling, I'm not sure."

"…What are you talking about?" I said slowly, honestly very confused.

"Ever since I sent you out to lure the warriors from the Jade Palace, you've been extremely quiet—even for the normal you! What did they tell you that you are not telling me?" Sharptooth barked.

A stone dropped in my stomach. Sharptooth didn't trust me. I always knew that he had small doubts about me as we got older, but I didn't expect him to think I'd keep a secret from him!

"…Well? What did they say?" Sharptooth repeated, looking impatient.

I shook my head. "They didn't say anything, Sharptooth. They didn't trust me anymore than you do right now."

"I don't believe you," Sharptooth growled at me.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Why? I've never lied to you before!" _Except the time when I blamed Blade for tossing your bedding in the river... but that was different._

Sharptooth growled again. "You have always had a weakness towards the warriors from the Jade Palace, Tai Ling. I wouldn't be surprised if you decided to join them if they gave you the opportunity."

"That's your reason?" I asked him irritably. "Because it's not true, and it doesn't even make any sense!"

Bone glanced at Sharptooth, then me, then Sharptooth again. "Don't fight," he warned us, "you have more important battles to fight than this."

I looked at the white wolf. "No worries. That wasn't my thought," I told him quietly.

Sharptooth shook his head, though glaring at me. "It wasn't on my mind either. But—"

Bone broke in, obviously getting bored of the argument. "Sharptooth, you are being ridiculous, you know that right? Just get on with your duties before I have to take over for you!"

Sharptooth blinked. "… Fine." With that, the young black wolf began to head down a different tunnel. He stopped for a moment, turned, and looked at me smugly. "You want me to trust you, Tai Ling, right?"

_I know that look… it's the kind of look he used to get when we wanted to sneak out…_ I nodded slowly. "Yes, I do." _Though I don't get why you don't trust me now._

"Well then, guess what your new job is? You are going to find the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior, and capture them. Bring the Dragon Warrior back alive, and I don't care what happens to the other five, as long as they aren't capable of stopping us. So perhaps you should bring them back dead, or unconscious. Whichever is easiest. But... I'd prefer dead." Sharptooth decided. "And that's an order."

"I… what?!" I stuttered. "You want me to… but I've never killed someone... ever!"

"An _order_, Tai Ling," Sharptooth's growl became firm.

_Sharptooth, listen to yourself! You are under so much pressure you are turning against the person you once trusted your life with! _I thought sadly. I looked at Bone for support and he shook his head.

"He's in charge, Leopard," he murmured. "Listen to him." However, I could see that he wasn't very big on this whole 'capture to gain Sharptooth's trust' idea.

I figured it was best not to argue. "Okay then, Sharptooth. I will follow your orders…" I muttered with a sharp look at commanding wolf.

Sharptooth grinned. "Good to know. Be back within five days,"

I turned towards the exit tunnel. "I miss the old 'you', Sharptooth, I really do!" my voice barely over a whisper.

I heard a small regretful sigh from my friend.

_He does too. I just wish he's show his old self more often…_

With that, I darted down the dark tunnel once again, the shock of the situation settling in.

"Where could they have gone?" I wondered once I reached the exit of the cave. The blizzard had covered up and tracks, so I couldn't use that to track them down. _They would have mostly likely headed back home—the Jade Palace. So I should be able to find them there. _I decided quickly. _I tried to remember the direction I'm facing North… _I struggled to remember the old maps I used to use to navigate, _So I should west! Okay then, off to the Valley of Peace!_

**End of Chapter…  
I have a quick question, would you like it if I wrote a fanfiction based on Tai Ling's past? I have built on Tai Ling's character for the past year and a half, so I think that it could work. She is my favorite part to write about since there is so many things to find out about her. However, it may be spoiler to a few things in this fanfiction… what do you think? Be sure to leave me a review containing your opinion and your review about this chapter! Thanks, chapter 7 will be up ASAP! … I got some (hopefully) interesting stuff planned out for it! **


	7. Chapter 7: Another stranger

**Well, hello again! I just want to say thank you to '**_**Gdown94'**_** and '**_**Watch ur back, Wherever u r' **_**for leaving me encouraging reviews—they mean a lot. Thanks you two! That being said, other readers: PLEASE leave a review! I will be SO, SO, SO happy! Ok, I'll stop blabbering…  
Now let's get on with chapter 7!**

_Tai Ling's POV:_

I treaded up another giant mound of snow, one after another, my paws screaming for me to stop. I agreed with my paws. A full day of traveling, and I just wanted to stop. I didn't want to pursue and kill people who had done no harm to me. I wished I could crawl into a hole and never come out. I sighed.

"Hey, you!" something shouted from a cliff above me.

I looked up at the cliff to see a dark figure, far above me.

"Yeah, you!" the figured yelled. "Where are you heading?"

I didn't answer it, just continuing to look up at it. _Who is this?_

I heard the figure sighed and it jumped down into the snow beside me. It was a little taller than me, covered in a black cloak, and gauze covered its entire face except its blue eyes. A gleaming sword hung from its side. I took a step back.

The figure chuckled, its voice heavily muffled by the gauze. "Don't be so startled-looking, it makes me feel as if I'm a dragon or something. Now, where are you heading?" The gauze muted the person's voice so much, so I couldn't tell if it was a male or female.

"Um… to the Valley of Peace…" I spoke slowly. I didn't like the shady look of the person.

"The Valley?" the person echoed.

"Yes, the Valley," I answered promptly. "Now if you don't mind, I need to go. Now."

The figure's blue eyes glittered. "I will accompany you. You shouldn't be traveling alone."

"I can take care of myself, thanks," I retorted. "I've traveled through these mountains several times."

The figure made a noise that sounded like laughter. "I should know. The mountains are my home, and I happen to pay attention to anyone who passes through."

An idea popped into my head. "So.. have you seen—"

"The six other people who traveled with you the last time? Nope, I haven't seen them since they traveled with you," the stranger cut me off.

I tipped my head to one side. "You haven't? B—but… where are they then?"

"I said I pay attention to people who pass through, not that I'm a psychic!" the dark stranger protested.

"Uh… I need to go," I muttered.

The figure sighed. "Fine. However, it will be nighttime before you will be able to get far. Stay the night with me, then go."

I stared up at the sky. The snow and clouds made it impossible to actually see the sky. Nevertheless, the night was beginning to cast it shadow out on the mountains. "I don't think some rest will be any harm. But first, who are you?"

"Yīnyǐng," the stranger replied. "Daughter of Cai."

"I am Tai Ling," I introduced.

Yīnyǐng's eyes widened. "That name sounds a lot like—"

"Tai _Lung_, I know," I muttered. _I know that all too well._

Yīnyǐng gave a me careless shrug. "Okay, now come with me and we will go to my cave."

I followed Yīnyǐng up a large slope and down into a rocky ditch, surrounded by snow-covered mountains. Yīnyǐng darted underneath a rocky ledge. Cautiously, I followed. She led me deeper under the ledge, which turned out to lead into an airy cave. Yīnyǐng turned around. "Welcome to my cave," the masked figure said cheerily. Yīnyǐng began to unwrap the gauze that covered head. "You probably didn't want to just talk to a person covered in black," she pointed out logically. As the gauze peeled away from her head, it revealed a beautiful young female panther. Her head was narrow and her blue eyes looked like gems on her night-black fur. "I noticed how strangely you were looking at me. Better now?" she asked me quietly.

I yawned. "Yes."

"Why are you traveling to the Valley of Peace? You've gone there enough already," Yīnyǐng questioned suddenly.

"Well, my boss keeps on sending me back and forth," I muttered unhappily. "No matter what I say, he makes me do it…"

Yīnyǐng looked at me sympathetically. "Your boss doesn't sound very nice. You should find a different job."

"I—I can't actually do that…" I stuttered.

Yīnyǐng scoffed, "You can't quit a job? It's simple!"

"No, it's not that I can't do it, it's just that… I don't want to," I explained the best that I could.

"Then stop whining about it!" Yīnyǐng complained.

I raised my eyebrow. _Well,_ _she's dramatic… _I thought. I yawned again. "Um… may I get some rest?"

Yīnyǐng looked up at me. "Of course! Settle in wherever you'd like, and I'll be back in the morning."

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

Yīnyǐng got up, looking a bit unsettled. "Uh… I just… you know, I like to… spend time in the mountains at night."

I tipped my head to once side. "Sure…"

Yīnyǐng left the cave briskly without another word.

I gazed around the large cave. The far corner was completely pitch black, while the rest of the cave was lit by light reflecting off the snow outside.

I didn't really want to spend my time being visible. So, I decided to settle in in the darkest corner, feeling safe as I melted into the shadows.

_"You only got four days left, Tai Ling… and now, it's three."_

_*****time lapse*****_

When I awoke, Yīnyǐng was back in the cave, tossing a few daggers at a target painted on a rock near the exit of the cave.

I got up from the shadows and walked over to her. "Good morning," I greeted her quietly.

She jumped and then relaxed as she saw me. "Oh, it's you. I forgot you were here. Well, I'm glad you are awake," she spoke in a rapid fashion, unlike the night before.

I nodded. "Who taught you how to handle weapons?" I asked, gesturing to her daggers.

Yīnyǐng shrugged. "Eh… I mostly taught myself. But, my father used to try to."

"Where is your father?" I asked her.

Yīnyǐng's eyes clouded. "I don't know," she whispered. "He disappeared and never came back. Since then, I've lived in this cave alone."

I felt a strong sense of sympathy towards the young panther. "I'm so sorry, Yīnyǐng…"

"Don't be," I heard her voice crack. She took a deep breath. "Do you practice weaponry?" she questioned me, trying to change the subject.

"Nope. I practice Kung Fu, though," I replied.

"That's neat," Yīnyǐng commented. She glanced outside. "It's going to be noon soon, perhaps you should get on with your journey."

I nodded. "Thank you for letting me stay," I bowed quickly and began to walk towards the exit.

"Wait! Tai Ling?" she called.

I turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Um… keep this," she handed me a jade pendant with the Yin Yang engraved on it. "It'll help you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, but how exactly would it help me?"

"It'll help you find what really matters to you," Yīnyǐng's eyes glimmered, filled with a deep emotion which I could not figure out.

I looked at the pendant and smiled gratefully. "Thanks…" I murmured appreciatively.

She dipped her head un acknowledgement. "Have a safe journey, Tai Ling."

"Goodbye Yīnyǐng," With that, I darted out of the cave, not really knowing what else I could've said. I made my way out of the rock ditch and into the vast snow. I took a deep breath of the mountain air. Feeling the sharp coldness slice through my fur actually felt good after being stuck in a stuffy cave. I then remembered my mission, and my moment of content ended. Questions filled my mind. _But if the Dragon Warrior and the Five didn't head this way… where are they? _I wondered. _Well, perhaps Yīnyǐng just didn't see them. They probably are already at the Valley… _I assured myself. Familiar voices killed the thought.

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No, Po."

I froze in my tracks and ducked behind the rocks as I spotted the traveling group only a few yards away. _This is bad, very bad…_ I told myself. However, something inside of me argued with that._ No Tai Ling, this is awesome. Now you don't have to hunt them down in the Valley, you can just do it in your own terrain! You can them beat them easy! _ It was true. Plus, I had to do it, so why not here?

I forced myself to creep up around the rocks. This was it, no turning back. I took a deep breath. I… I couldn't do this! _I don't want to harm anybody! _The argument started up again._ Hey, you've knocked them out before, just do it again,_ something inside of me reminded me. _Catch them by surprise!_

_Ok, here goes nothing…_ I charged and leaped into a strong kick, flinging myself towards the group, knowing I would hit at least one of them. But something was weighing me down. Fear. It forced me down until I collapsed clumsily on the snow behind the group. _What am I doing?!_

The Five and Dragon Warrior whipped around, very startled but prominently ready to attack. My heart skipped a beat, and I slowly got up to my paws, just wishing so strongly that I hadn't done that.

* * *

_Po's POV_

I stared at the sheepish snow leopard who had landed only a few inches away from me. She gulped and slowly backed away.

"Tai Ling," Tigress growled warningly. Tai Ling froze and bit her lip.

"Were you following us?" I exclaimed at last.

She shook her head. "No! I just…"

I folded my arms. "Then what were you doing sneaking up on us like that? Well, you didn't really sneak up… you kind of—"

"I get it!" Tai Ling snapped, ears flat. I could tell that we had caught her red-handed doing something that we wouldn't have liked. "You know what? I'm just going to go and… get on with my mission and you all do what you were doing. Okay? Okay. Goodbye," the feline stuttered quickly. She began to back off, much faster this time.

"Somebody, do something!" I whispered to the Five. "Don't let her escape!"

Crane flew forward and caught her by the collar of her shirt and hovered her a foot above the ground. None of us wanted to take a chance with her.

Tai Ling let out an angry hiss of aggression, struggling to leap free.

Tigress walked over to the hostile snow leopard. "Come back with us to the Jade Palace, I'm sure Shifu would like to have a word with you," she decided, sounding irritated with Tai Ling.

Tai Ling bared her teeth at Tigress, ears flat and her icy-blue eyes filled with fury. She refused to speak.

That suddenly reminded me of something, something harsh and strange. But, I pushed the thought away.

Crane let Tai Ling stand up after a moment, and the feline crossed her arms and glared at us. "Fine, I'll go with you," she muttered in defeat. "You are _so_ lucky that Sharptooth isn't here." she narrowed her eyes at the snow. I was surprised she wasn't fighting back, but I was _very _glad!

Something out of the corner of my eye moved. A wolf? It better not be! Something moved again. I turned, jumping into a battle stance.

"Uh… Po?" Monkey tapped me on the shoulder. "What… are you doing?"

"There's something over there," I told him.

Monkey tipped his head to one side. "You sure?"

As if to answer his question, a shadow pushed me aside and jumped between Tai Ling and the rest of us. It was wearing a black cloak with gauze covering everything but its eyes.

"Yīnyǐng?" Tai Ling gasped softly.

The shadow person—or rather Yīnyǐng, apparently—nodded. "I would have never expected this…" Yīnyǐng began quietly. "You all come this way as a group, and leave in a fight? Some assembly you are!" she scoffed.

I shook my head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's not like that! Tai Ling was never a part of our 'assembly' as you call it."

Yīnyǐng's eyes narrowed in confusion. "She's not? But… she was searching for you…"

I noticed Tai Ling roll her eyes. "Yīnyǐng, I—!" she cut herself, obviously thinking better of it.

I narrowed my eyes at the snow leopard as I figured out what she had been doing. She had not told Yīnyǐng that she was a part of the wolf gangs, just as she had with us! So it made sense that Yīnyǐng actually wanted to help her.

Yīnyǐng whispered something to Tai Ling, and Tai Ling sighed. "No… Look, Yīnyǐng, I know you are trying to help, but…"

"I'm making things harder for you?" Yīnyǐng supplied. "Oh, sorry…" she whispered something else to Tai Ling, Tai Ling nodded gratefully, and Yīnyǐng darted away.

"Okayyy then…" I said slowly.

"To the Valley now, right?" Viper said. I was surprised that she had not spoken since Tai Ling had shown up. But, I guess not _everyone_ could do the talking.

I shrugged. "Yep."

"Why are you guys in a rush to get to the Valley, anyways?" Tai Ling asked me, still (sadly) in an foul mood.

No one decided to answer her. The snow leopard sighed irritably.

We didn't exactly make any circular formation around her, but I guess she got the fact that she was now 'captured' by us. That was a good thing… I guess. What bothered me is that she had no idea why we were rushing to the valley. Was the village really the wolves' priority? I hoped not. _Well, Shifu will know what to do about all this, _I reassured myself as we began to trek onward.

**Poor Tai Ling. This is turning out harder than she expected. I guess her conscious is getting the best of her, ay?  
****I wasn't really sure how to end this chapter... hehe... but, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! ...it'll be much appreciated. :) I love reviews! I hope you are enjoying this so far. Stay tuned for chapter 8!**


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